Mission PTest
by moonswirl
Summary: Gleekathon day 2 - Quinn recruits Santana and Brittany for a mission.


_Three week Glee hiatus, the horrors! To try and make it go by faster, I decided to do this project. I'll put up one new ficlet every day (I hope...) up to the day Glee returns! So be on the lookout! :)_

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**MISSION P-TEST  
Quinn (+ Santana & Brittany)**

She would have much rather done this on her own, not involving anyone until she absolutely had to. If it remained in her mind and her mind alone, if her fears – terrors – were unfounded, then they could just disappear… no one the wiser. But her knees were shaking, her hands… she couldn't drive, and there was no way she'd go anywhere close enough she'd run the risk of bumping into someone she knew. Still, she wanted to protect her secret. So came the plan.

She'd been in her own bubble of panic all day, when last bell came, she almost missed catching the two of them. She stood, tapping Brittany's arm, and Brittany tapped Santana's shoulder.

"There's a tanning salon, it's just out of town, just out of reach from Coach Sylvester's all seeing eyes," she whispered conspiratorially. Within an instant, she saw the desired matching smiles. Santana had been beside herself since Coach Sylvester had suspended their privileges.

"Won't she find out?" Brittany frowned. Quinn shook her head, smiling as though the solution was obvious.

"So long as we keep it gradual, she'll never be able to tell. So? Are you in?" Two nods later, they were on their way to Brittany's car. Once they'd turned away from her, the resolve on her face and in her step wasn't so strong. She just had to make it into the car, and she'd be fine.

She sat in the back, while the others were up front. They were busy cackling away, recalling an incident with "the wheelchair guy" earlier that week. Quinn wasn't even pretending to listen to them. Her mind was miles away, following the ups and downs of the road out of town.

Her insides had also followed those ups and downs… and they would follow no more. She felt it rise in her throat, and she gripped at the seat.

"S… Stop… Stop the c… car!" she begged, trying to hold it in. Santana turned, seeing the color in her face had just drained away completely.

"Brittany, pull over now! She's gonna blow!" Santana demanded. The blonde at the wheel, on the threat of chunks, pushed her foot hard on the brakes. The car had barely screeched to a halt that the back door was thrown open and Quinn leaned over to throw up. The two girls in the front turned away, trying to block out what was happening. When Quinn sat back up, Santana handed her a towel to wipe at her mouth, while Brittany held out a water bottle.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Y-yeah," Quinn spoke, still a little dazed. "Cafeteria really is toxic," she quickly excused the event. After a few more gulps of air and water, she nodded. "Come on, we're almost there." They slowly regained the road, Brittany fearing more throwing up was yet to come. Santana, for her part, was deep in thought. And then…

"Brittany, stop."

"Again?" she asked, cringing.

"No, it's fine. Pull over." Quinn wasn't looking up, already knowing somehow… the jig was up. "Quinn… Hey…" Santana tried to get her to look up. Feeling Brittany was staring as well, Quinn sighed and obeyed. "You're not…" Her head went back down as Brittany and Santana's mouths went wide. "Is it…"

"Please, don't…" Quinn interrupted her, looking up again. "I don't know for certain just yet, so can we just go?"

"To the tanning salon?" Brittany frowned.

"Drug store," Santana rolled her eyes.

"Oh…" Brittany nodded, and they were off.

The rest of the drive was silent. No story about their favorite mocking targets could win out over what they'd learned. Quinn was fine by this. As unwilling as she was to confront the idea that she could end up staring down at a plus sign or two lines or pink or blue circles… She did her best not to let herself get sick again. Every time she did, it was like one more pound of pressure on her shoulders and telling her that she would be staring at a plus sign, or two…

"We're here," Santana pulled her out of her daze.

By the time the trio of Cheerios had planted themselves before the array of pregnancy tests, they could already feel eyes on them.

"Maybe we should have changed out of our uniforms first," Brittany whispered.

"What difference would it make?" Quinn breathed out as she picked up one box and read the instructions. "I think it's fine," she nodded.

"You should make sure, take a couple," Santana told her.

"I don't know if I can…" Quinn sighed, looking in her wallet. Without a word, Santana and Brittany handed her the missing money for the extra tests. Quinn took it, pulling herself together so she wouldn't cry. "Let's get out of here," she nodded.

She had gotten some of her power back, thanks to her teammates, power enough for her to keep a strong face as she placed the three boxes on the counter, along with the money, while the woman at the cash register stared her down.

As they got out to the car, Quinn looked to the bag dangling from her hand. She needed to know, but then she knew they'd have questions… she wasn't ready to answer.

"You guys should still go… to the salon," she nodded. "I can take a bus back home." Santana and Brittany shared a look. "Really… thank you, I… I can take it from here."

It took a few more prompts, but finally the others departed, leaving Quinn in front of the store. She looked to the bag again, before staring back at the store. Resolved, she returned to the woman at the counter. Her gaze was eerily reminiscent of the one she was afraid she'd find on Coach Sylvester's face if these tests were positive.

"Can I use the bathroom?" she asked the woman, who pointed to the door without a word.

She'd never felt this low in her life, and she hoped this would be as worse as it got, and that it'd all be over soon.

She took the tests one at a time, wanting to make sure not to screw it up. But after the first one presented her with two lines, her despair began to build. When the second gave her a positive pink, she shook her head, focusing all of her energy and confidence on that third test. It wouldn't give her that dreaded plus sign, it wouldn't…

For one brief second, she saw a straight line and began to hope… until it sprouted branches… it was becoming clearer and clearer… a plus sign.

She sat in the bathroom, crying, until loud thumps at the door brought her back to reality.

She felt cold as she returned outside. Her feet trailed as she made her way to the bus stop. It wasn't going to fade away… she couldn't brush it away or carry on that way.

How could this happen? Was she being punished? Why not? She'd cheated, on more than just her boyfriend. She'd worked so hard, and now…

She arrived at the bus stop and found a familiar car waiting there. Brittany and Santana had waited. Quinn would never say it in so many words, but she had them to thank for not losing it in that moment.

She'd go home, she'd find a way.

THE END.


End file.
